For too long, debates over international trade have been dominated by corporate elites and economic ideologues, rather than rooted in the experiences of ordinary Americans. 

The Trade Stories Project allows people who have been affected by policies and institutions like NAFTA and the WTO to share their views on a matter crucial to the global economy. 

This includes displaced workers, farmers, small business owners and immigrants who have been typically excluded from the trade debate.

Sterling Allen

Myrtle Creek, OR

Sterling was a 10-year veteran of Roseburg Forest Products in southern Oregon until the plant where he worked closed its doors in 2003 due to increased imports.

"[Corporations] go where the labor is cheaper. So basically that's what is costing everyone their jobs. If they kept it more local to the country, we'd be a lot better off."